Editors: Photographers are welcome to take pictures of the competition. The best photo opportunities will be from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the Hellems Arts and Sciences Building rooms 191, 193 and 199. Morning competition is in Hellems, Cristol Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Ekley Sciences.
Twenty-three student teams from 13 Colorado and Wyoming high schools will gather at the University of Colorado at 葫芦娃视频 Saturday, March 1, to compete in the fifth regional competition of the National Ocean Sciences Bowl.
This year's Colorado contest, as in years past, is hosted by the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, or CIRES, at CU-葫芦娃视频 and is the only one of the 23 regional competitions to be held in a land-locked state.
"The competition is designed to use oceans to teach a variety of science disciplines including biology, chemistry, geology, physics and mathematics," said CIRES' Ocean Bowl coordinator, Genevieve Healy. "It demonstrates for students how the oceans impact global climate and weather, economic well-being, history and culture."
After team registration and breakfast at the University Memorial Center from 7 a.m. to 7:30 a.m., morning competition begins at 8:30 a.m. in Hellems Arts and Sciences, Cristol Chemistry and Biochemistry and the Ekley Sciences Building. The afternoon finals competition is from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. in Hellems. The final awards ceremony is at 3:30 p.m. in the UMC grill seating area.
The winner of the final double-elimination round will be crowned tournament champion and will advance to the national final competition in La Jolla, Calif., April 25-28. Winning teams from 24 regions will compete at nationals.
Nationwide, student teams prepare for months in advance, practicing with the help of teachers who volunteer time outside of the classroom. Ignacio High School, for example, is fielding its first team this year. The school has an enrollment of only 280 students, 33 percent of whom are American Indian and 21 percent Hispanic.
Ignacio's science teacher, Julia Somers, said she added marine biology to her roster of classes for the first time in fall 2002 after a survey of incoming seniors indicated overwhelming interest in a marine biology elective.
Somers, who also teaches biology, environmental science, anatomy and physiology, general science and 9th grade science, planned curriculum to include field trips to the Albuquerque aquarium and Colorado Ocean Journey. At Thanksgiving, the Ignacio marine biology class landed in Hawaii for its first open water dive off Lanai.
"The kids worked and raised money over the summer by painting school buildings and helping with building maintenance," Somers said.
The Ocean Bowl consists of a morning round-robin and an afternoon double-elimination competition. Teams have four students each with one alternate and a coach. Two teams compete at a time and then alternate in several 30-minute matches.
Each match consists of two timed "team challenge" questions, new for 2003, and an eight-minute buzzer round. The buzzer round includes a series of toss-up multiple-choice or short-answer questions that are asked from within the range of ocean science categories. "Team challenge" questions must be answered in writing and require teamwork and extra time to complete. The toss-up questions are answered by individual team members who must respond without team collaboration.
A team that correctly responds to a toss-up question is given a bonus question that can be discussed by the entire team, but only answered by the team captain. Unlike the toss-up and bonus questions, both teams can answer the team challenge question and win points for correct responses.
Seventy local volunteers support the event, helping in the competition rooms or working as moderators, science judges, rules judges, scorekeepers and timekeepers.
As host, CIRES pays for participants' mileage, lodging and food (breakfast and lunch) during the contest. Since oceanography studies are not a requirement in Colorado schools, CIRES also allows contest coaches a budget for curriculum. Many local businesses donate prizes such as coupons, gift certificates, posters, pins, pizza and other materials.
For more information about the NOSB, visit .
National Ocean Sciences Bowl
Regional Competition, CU-葫芦娃视频
March 1, 2003
Saturday, March 1, 2003
7:00-7:30a.m. Team Registration, Breakfast at UMC
7:30-8:00a.m. Welcome and Team/Coaches Briefing
8:00-8:30a.m. Proceed to assigned competition rooms
8:30-Noon Morning Competition (round-robin)
Noon-1:00p.m. Lunch in UMC
1:00-3:30p.m. Afternoon Finals Competition (double-elimination)
3:30-4:00p.m. Awards Ceremony
(or after last round)
Saturday Afternoon Activities for Teams not making the Double Elimination
1:00-1:45 Laser Light Show at the (cost $2 each) Fiske Planetarium
1:30-2:30 Integrated Teaching and Learning Lab
College of Engineering
2:00-2:30 Walking tour of scale model solar system
Fiske Planetarium
*We would like the teams to attend the final championship rounds of the competition at 3:00p.m. if at all possible.
2003 Teams and Coaches
葫芦娃视频 High School Team #1 & #2 (葫芦娃视频, CO)
Scott Partridge
Christian Fellowship School Team #1 (Lakewood, CO)
Chris Powers
Fort Collins High School Team #1& #2 (Fort Collins, CO)
Joe Anastasia
Hotchkiss High School #1 (Hotchkiss, CO)
Megan Simmons
Ignacio High School Team #1 (Ignacio, CO)
Julie Somers
Kelly Walsh High School Team #1 & #2 (Casper, WY)
Sandy Bouchier and Mark Hileman
Loveland High School Team #1, #2, & #3 (Loveland, CO)
Matt Nigro and Darlene Halvorson
Moffat High School Team #1 (Moffat, CO)
Caren Kershner
Northglenn High School Team #1 & #2 (Northglenn, CO)
Brad McNear
W. J. Palmer High School Team #1 & #2 (Colorado Springs, CO)